Adventures of the Rougettes
by MissRougettes
Summary: Your 3 fave writers, Sugar Princess, She's a Star, and karitastarlet travel back into the past to SAVE THE MOULIN ROUGE! New chapter!
1. Back to the Rouge! (Written by Kara)

"Hey!" Kara sat down at her computer and hastily typed a message to GreenFairyGirlie, also known as She's a Star or, to her friends, Hannah.   
"Hiya!" Hannah typed back.   
Kara crossed her legs and settled back in the chair, rubbing her dog, Gina, with one foot. "How's chapter ten going?" Hannah wrote.  
"Just peachy keen."   
"Can I read it?"  
"Of course."  
Just then, the AOL door opened and Kara got a message from Albanygrace, or her friend Madi. "Hey girl!" She wrote.  
"Hi!" Kara answered. "I'm talkin' to Hannah too. Wanna join?"  
"Sure!"   
Clicking the little icon, Madi was added to the conversation. They chatted about all things Moulin Rouge as they always did.   
"I wish we could go back there." Hannah typed. Kara smiled as she received the message, and wrote back, "Me too. That'd be chunk."  
And, strangely, everything went black.  
  
When Kara awoke, her head pounded. "Damn," she swore, sitting up. "What happened?"  
There were two bodies next to hers. Each lay face down on the cold wooden floor, breathing heavily. "Who...? Where am I?" She wondered aloud.  
The girl with the dark blonde hair stirred. "What the fuck?" Kara whispered, looking around. She and the two other girls were lying on the floor of a small, rather empty room. There was a huge hole in the ceiling.  
"Did we do that?" The girl next to her asked.   
"I think so."  
"On the contrary," the other girl sat up and looked about. "I think we're..."  
"In Christian's garret!"   
"And you're Hannah, aren't you?" Kara asked. "And Madi! Oh my God! This is way too chunk!"  
"It rocks my socks." Madi quipped, grinning at Kara.  
"But how..." Hannah began, "did this happen?"  
"No idea."   
"This is snazzy." Hannah added. "Monkeys! I say that way too much!"  
The girls laughed and stood up. Kara smoothed the khaki skirt she wore and tied the pink-star shoelace on her pink-sparkly painted Adidas Superstars. "So," she asked, "where's everyone?"  
  
As if an answer to her question, a man who could only be Christian walked in the room. He saw them standing there and his jaw dropped. These three girls were dressed so scandalously! Two wore trousers and the other a skirt that barely covered what it should! (In actuality, Kara's skirt only hit a little above her knees.) One of these strange creatures wore a shirt that said MOULIN ROUGE. Christian cocked his head in utter confusion.   
"Oh my God!" The girl in the red shirt and jeans screeched.   
"Christian!" The other two chorused.   
"Who are you and why are you in my home?" He asked after the initial shock of seeing three strangely dressed girls in his home wore off.   
"We don't know." The one in the skirt said. "Hi. I'm Kara. Have any Tylenol?"  
"Tylenol?"  
"Didn't think so." She grinned and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you."  
The others stood back shyly. "This is Hannah," Kara introduced Red Shirt. "And this is Madi."  
"Why does her shirt say Moulin Rouge?" Christian asked.  
"Because it's a movie that's immensely popular with us." Hannah answered his question.   
"A movie? What's a movie?"  
"Oh yeah. I forgot. This is 1899, isn't it?"  
"Of course."  
"Well, believe it or not my dear Christian, but we're from 2002." Madi said, laughing at the shocked look on his face.  
"You guys don't think...?" Kara began. "Hey, Christian, where's Satine?"  
"How do you know who Satine is?"  
"The movie."  
"Oh yes, the movie." Christian nodded but still looked puzzled.   
"So where's Satine? Is she okay?"  
"Why wouldn't she be?"  
"Oh, never mind."  
"Hey," Hannah piped up. "Christian, would you...just...sing something?"   
"Why?"  
"C'mon, Christian!" Kara said. "I'll sing with you! Ready?" She started to sing Madonna's "Material Girl" but Christian didn't sing along. "We are living in a material world and I am a material girl!"  
"How do you know that?" He asked.  
"It's a song. By Madonna."  
"Oh yes, Madonna." Christian was wondering if these girls weren't really just lunatics escaped from an asylum or something. "How do I know you're really from the future?"  
"Look at us!" Madi said. "Do we look like 19th century teenagers?"  
"No." Christian laughed. "But I don't know what 21st century teenagers look like, do I?"  
"Could you sing now?" Hannah asked. "Puh-leeze? Just a little bit of Your Song?"  
"How do you know that?" He asked again.   
"Well, there's this guy. From England. His name is Elton John, and he wrote it."  
"I wrote it!" Christian fumed.   
"Hey, ya know something funny?" Kara asked. "I like, packed for this."  
"Seriously?" Madi asked.  
"Cereal." Kara answered. "Look inside my bag." Inside were her makeup bag, some CDs, and an interesting plastic object. "Mr. Leg," she laughed.   
"I have my CD player." Hannah said, pulling out the shiny item.   
"What's a CD?" Christian asked, scratching his chin.   
"It plays music. Like a record, but smaller." Madi explained. "Here, listen."  
"We'll play him a little...hmm...how bout some Garbage?"  
"What do I do?" Christian wondered, holding the earphones in his hand.   
"Put those in your ears." Madi laughed. She pushed play and Christian's eyes widened.   
"What is this?" He mouthed.   
"Garbage."  
"What? Trash?"  
"Garbage." Kara continued. "A group."  
"It's...interesting." He concluded.   
"How about the soundtrack?" Hannah grinned evilly.   
"You're torturing him." Madi remarked, poking her friend.   
Kara slid the CD into the player and skipped to track ten. The look on Christian's face was priceless. All three girls wished they had a camera.   
"What the hell?" He whispered. "Why...?"  
"Congratulations, Christian. You've met your movie counterpart, Ewan McGregor."  
"I'm in a movie? What is a movie?"  
"Oh come on. It's a bunch of moving pictures that you can watch. And hear. And you and Satine...you're in a movie called..." Hannah began.  
"What else? Moulin Rouge!" Madi twirled around, showing him her tank top.   
"I'm confused. And intrigued."   
"Christian, where's Satine?" Kara asked.   
"She's at the Moulin."  
"Can we go see her?"  
"Sure. Follow me. But maybe you want to...cover up a little?"  
"No!" Kara yelped. "I'm perfectly fine."  
"You're next to naked."   
"I am not. See! My chest is covered! And so is the rest of me!"  
Christian shook his head and Hannah, Madi, and Kara laughed.   
  
  
It wasn't odd to see half-dressed women at the Moulin Rouge, but the three girls made quite a scene. The usual crowd had never seen women in trousers before! "What are they wearing?" Nini commented.   
"Called jeans, Nini darling." Hannah said, smiling. "Quite the fashion staple in 2002."  
"2002?" Another woman asked.  
"That's the year we live in."  
"Why are you here?"  
"We have the same question." Madi answered. "But hey, this is fun!"  
Christian led them backstage. "I want to go in the elephant." Kara said. "Looks pretty chunkette."  
"What's chunkette?" Christian asked.   
"It means cool."  
"What's cool?"  
"That means...good."   
"Hey, wait a minute. THERE'S HAROLD!" Hannah's excitement showed in her voice. "Hello, Harold!"  
The jolly, redheaded man made his way over to them. "What lovely young ladies you've found, Christian. And so scantily dressed." His eyes roved down Kara's legs and she twirled about, liking the attention even if it was from a middle-aged man. "Where are you three from?"  
"2002."  
"The year?"  
"Of course."   
"How did you get here?"  
"We don't know." Madi answered.   
"Christian, there you are!" Satine burst out of her dressing room wearing a blue-feathered outfit. "Satine!" All three gasped.   
"Who is this?" She mouthed to Christian.  
"I'm Kara."  
"You aren't wearing anything over your legs."  
"I know."  
"And I'm Hannah."   
"I'm Madi."  
"Nice to meet you." Satine smiled, confused.   
"Satine, my new friends are from 2002 and they have CDs."  
"What are CDs?" Satine asked.  
"Like records."   
"Oh." Satine's mouth formed a wide O. "I see."  
"And we're in a movie." Christian continued.  
"What's a movie?"  
"Well, I'll explain that later."  
"She's prettier in person." Madi whispered to her friends. They nodded.   
"What are those things on your feet?" Satine asked, looking down at the girl's tennis shoes.  
"They're tennis shoes." Kara answered.  
"Well hello again!" Harold boomed. "Would you girls be interested in taking Miss Satine's place tonight as the main attraction?"  
"Eeee!" Kara squealed. "Yes!"  
The other two girls squealed their agreement as well. "Come then, let's get you something to wear!"  
  
Marie took the three into a dressing room shared with several other girls. Everyone crowded around eagerly to hear their story, and when Kara began to undress, their jaws dropped at the sight of her bra. "What...is that?" Satine finally asked.   
"My bra."  
"You don't wear a corset?" Arabia couldn't take her eyes off the bright pink thing.   
"No. Those went out of fashion a long time ago, girls." Hannah winked.   
"Well, girls, you're wearing them tonight."  
"Awesome! Vintage!" Madi giggled.   
  
They weren't laughing after they'd been tightly laced. "Can't...breathe." Hannah said, looking in the mirror.   
"But we look attractive." Kara said, admiring her reflection in the mirror. Marie bustled into the room again, arms full of material. "Here," she threw something to Kara, who examined it. The dress was surprisingly modern, backless, with a v-neck. It was of some strange violet-silver shimmering material, and Kara grinned as she threw it on. "I look hot." She said to her reflection. "So do you guys."  
Her friends were draped in red (Hannah) satin that hit the floor but had no straps to hold it up, and green velvet (Madi) with intricate designs swirled over it. Each had their hair coiffed into different styles: Hannah's pulled up and Madi's in a loose chignon of curls. Kara's cascaded down her shoulders in ringlets. "We look sexy." Hannah added.   
"Need some of my makeup?" Kara asked, tossing them the bag.   
"Of course."  
"This is way too cool. Are we sure we aren't dreaming?" Madi asked.  
"Pinch me." Hannah said.   
Kara did so. "Ouch!"  
"Not dreaming."  
  
  
"Gentlemen, tonight we have three very special (and very young) guests." Harold's voice echoed throughout the Moulin Rouge over the sea of top hats. From their place backstage, Hannah, Madi, and Kara shivered in anticipation. "Mademoiselle Satine has been ill."  
A series of sighs swept through the main hall. "But," Harold continued, "I'm sure these three young ladies will lift your spirits quite a bit!"   
"Go, go, go!" The Stage Manager shooed them away from the curtain and up the stairs. "You're first, Violet Girl."  
"Oh fuck." Kara swore.   
"Get on the swing." He commanded.   
Chocolat lifted Kara as though she was a feather and set her up on the swing. "Are you stable, Mademoiselle?"  
"Yup. I'm great. Thanks, Chocolat."   
The room filled with a silvery violet. The music started. Her voice strong and breathy, Kara began to sing.   
"We are living in a material world and I am a material..."  
Like in the movie, there was deep, hot silence. "Girl." She finished, kicking her heel and grinning brightly. Looking down upon the crowd, Kara found Toulouse, Christian, and the others at their usual table. Christian gave her a broad smile and Toulouse tossed her his hat, which she plunked on her head.   
"Some boys hug me, some boys kiss me, I think they're okay." She sang, holding out her hands for the jewelry that was being tossed to her. "If they don't give me proper credit, I just walk away."  
  
When her song was over, Kara watched as Hannah took the stage, singing "Physical" by Olivia Newton John. "Pure 80's cheese," Madi whispered, "but she's doing great."  
"They love it."  
"They loved you too."  
"I know." Kara held out her wrists to reveal several sparkling diamond bracelets studded with amethysts. "I love amethysts."   
"Your turn, girl!" The stage manager smacked Madi's bottom and she hurried along. She shot Kara a look, which made the other girl collapse with laughter.   
"You're lovely out there!" Kara congratulated Hannah as she returned, breathless and giggling. "It's fun, isn't it?"  
"Uh huh." Hannah agreed. "Let's do it again."  
"Tomorrow."   
They watched Madi parade around the stage, singing an old Marilyn Monroe song and collecting the jewelry the men threw to her.   
  
END OF CHAPTER ONE (he he) 


	2. The Dancing Queens Meet Satine! (written...

Madi came back a few seconds later, her cheeks flushed.  
  
"Wow!" she exclaimed. "That was sooooooo spiffy!" she held up her prizes: quite a few pieces of jewlery. "And look at the perks! Dang it, welcome to my new job!"  
  
"Relax, dancing queen," Kara said, putting a damper on her spirits. "We just replaced Satine tonight."  
  
"Speaking of which," Hannah started. "Where did she go?"  
  
Before Kara or Madi could answer, the Stage Manager came back there. "What are you girls doing back here?" he snapped. "Those getns out there are starting to riot! Get back out there!" With three smacks to their butts, they were sent back out.  
  
"Okay," Madi said as they hid behind the curtain and were greeted with the viewhundreds of screaming, grown, mostly old, men all after their flesh. "This is the part where I freak."  
  
"I don't think we're allowed that luxury." Hannah said through gritted teeth.  
  
"Looks like we're just gonna have to grin and bear it." Kara said.  
  
"'Bear' it spelled 'b-e-a-r' or 'b-a-r-e'?"  
  
"Both." Came a voice from behind. The three girls turned.  
  
"Nini." Kara said with icy contempt.  
  
"YOU THREE AGAIN?" came the Stage Manager, pushing Nini aside. "Get out there before I tan your hides!"  
  
"Hey!" Madi said, pushing forwards. "My hide is insured, thank you very much. Besides, I'll sic Guido and Rocco on you!"  
  
"Who's Guido and Rocco?" whispered Hannah. Kara shrugged.  
  
"Girls?" came Harold, who had just appeared. He also pushed Nini aside. "Are we having problems?"  
  
Hannah promptly favored Harold with her sweetest smile. "Of course not, Harold. C'mon, girls."  
  
And they were out on the dance floor of the Moulin Rouge.  
  
Hannah, who seemed to be the lucky one, was snatched up quickly by a handsome young rake that could dance quite well. He was a good conversationalist.  
  
Kara was stuck with and old man who kept stepping on her feet. The evening would have been a total waste if he hadn't given her the contents of his wallet and a diamond choker.  
  
Madi had been cornered by a group of men. She smiled weakly. "Let's see," she started. "Which of you give the best presents?"  
  
~*~  
  
The night was over, and Kara, Hannah, and Madi were sprawled in Satine's dressing room. Everyone but Hannah. Madi was thrown over a chaise lounge, Kara had flung herself into a arm chair, but Hannah kept dancing.  
  
"What is she on?" Madi asked Kara. "Speed?"  
  
Kara was massaging her feet. "God, did those shoes hurt. Hannah, will you knock it off?"  
  
"No!" Hannah sang happily.  
  
The door was opened, and Satine slid in, closing the door behind her.  
  
"Good evening," she whispered. "How are you all?"  
  
"Can't breathe," panted Madi. "Lacey-things too tight."  
  
Satine looked at Kara for explanation. "Corset." she explained. Satine nodded.  
  
She let her eyes move to Hannah. "And what is she doing?"  
  
Madi shrugged. "We don't know. Will someone let me out of this thing?!"  
  
Satine clucked her tongue sympathically, said: "Welcome to my world," and went to the door, ringing a little bell. "Marie!" she called. "Marie!"  
  
Marie appeared fairly quickly, and Satine sent Marie and Madi behind the dressing screen.  
  
"Hannah?" Satine asked tentatively. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Alright?" Hannah asked, so startled she stopped dancing. "Sure. I'm fine. You?"  
  
Madi's head appeared over the top of the dressing screen. "Yeah. Are you okay?"  
  
Satine nodded. "Of course I am." Sitting down in the chaise lounge where Madi had been, she looked around the room at the three girls.  
  
"Now, girls," she started. Madi emerged from behind the screen, wearing a white kimono. Satine pointed. "That's mine."  
  
Madi nodded. "I know." she stuck her tongue out at both Kara and Hannah. "I'm comfortable and you aren't." she sat down next to Satine.  
  
"Now girls," she started again. "Christian might," she coughed. "Believe your little story about the year 2002 and all that, but I'm afraid I don't. So, let's tell Satine the truth, shall we?"  
  
Kara, Madi, and Hannah looked at one another, then back at Satine.  
  
"Well," Hannah started. "Hannah doesn't know any more than Satine does."  
  
Kara laughed, catching on. "Neither does Kara."  
  
Madi quirked an eyebrow. "And we are talking in third person why?"  
  
Kara and Hannah laughed. "She's a little slow." Hannah explained.  
  
Madi ignored them. "Satine," she started. "We don't know how we got here. But we do know that we come from the year 2002. Just like we know exactly how Christian and you met."  
  
Satine smiled. "How did we meet?"  
  
"You mistook him for a Duke." Madi started.  
  
"And you fell in love once he sang to you." Hannah continued.  
  
"But even after you found out he was a writer, you still loved him." Kara said.  
  
"And now you're preparing for 'Spectacular Spectacular'." Madi finished.  
  
"How did you know that?" Satine gasped.  
  
Still in the room, Marie crossed herself.  
  
"We're from the future!" Hannah said in a 'duh' voice.  
  
"They made a movie about you." Kara said. "And all three of us loved it."  
  
Satine started to get excited. "Did one of us become famous?" she said, her voice rising. "Did Christian become a famous writer? Or me an actress? Did we live happily ever after? Tell me!"  
  
All three girls looked at one another with worried faces.  
  
"Time out. Girl talk." Madi said, pulling the other two outside.  
  
"What do we say?" Madi asked. "We can't tell her she dies of consumption!"  
  
Kara shook her head. "It's a proven fact that without hope people don't usually survive."  
  
"And what about Christian's state after she bit the dust?" Hannah said, worried.  
  
"So, survey says we nix on telling her about the death thing." Madi said. Kara and Hannah nodded.  
  
Madi suddenly tilted her head and appeared deep in thought.  
  
"Uh oh," Hannah said. "She's thinking."  
  
Kara shivered. "I'm scared."  
  
"What if..." Madi started. "We were sent back for a reason?"  
  
"A reason?" Hannah asked warily.  
  
"Yeah, to meet our idols. And?" Kara said, skeptical.  
  
"No, sillies! As in, to save them!" 


	3. Of Deleted Scenes and Disgusting Dukes (...

After chit-chatting into the wee hours of the morning with Satine, the three girls eventually nodded off. Due to the fact that their eyes were closed and Kara was snoring rather loudly, they neither saw nor heard Satine sneak out of her dressing room.  
When the three awoke a few hours later, they wore identical grins on their faces.   
"I can't believe we actually stayed up all night talking to SATINE!" exclaimed Madi.  
"This is chunk," contributed Kara. "But I think she was getting a little suspicious of Hannah here, who would NOT STOP DROOLING over her SOULMATE."  
"Well, I'm sorr-EE!" Hannah exclaimed, annoyed. "I can't HELP it!"  
"You guys," Madi said miserably, "She's so sweet! I think if we let her-well...you know what I mean-now, I would be even more scarred for life than I already was!"  
"We definitely have to find out how to go back to the future somehow," Kara agreed with a nod.   
"You know what?" Hannah said.  
"What?"  
"This would make a really awesome fanfiction."  
  
~*~  
  
After lounging about for another half hour or so, the girls went on a quick raid of Satine's closet and wrapped themselves into assorted robes, then crept out to the dance hall, only to witness something so many Moulin Rouge-obsessed fanfiction writers had merely dreamt of.  
"It's the deleted scene from the Stars introduction!" cried Hannah in delight.  
Indeed, it was-Satine and Christian were dancing around the hall, lost in each other's eyes.  
"This is getting better by the SECOND!" Madi declared.  
"Aww!" the three girls cooed in joy at the beautiful fluffiness of it all as Christian planted a kiss on Satine's cheek and she dissolved into giggles.  
"WHY did they not include deleted scenes on the DVD?" moaned Hannah.   
Just as Kara was about to reply, the doors swung open and "My sweet, are you here?" rang throughout the dance hall.  
"Duke alert!" Madi exclaimed.  
"Lemme at 'im!" Hannah growled angrily. "Just lemme at 'im, and I'll-"  
"Shut UP!" snapped Kara, who was watching Satine and Christian anxiously. To their relief, Christian slipped out of sight just in time, and Satine, clutching his hand, followed him.  
Which left three positively murderous anti-frog-squishing fanfiction writers alone in the room with the man who, along with consumption, destroyed a perfectly beautiful relationship.  
Not a good combination.  
"You frog-squishing MORON!" shrieked Hannah, who would have said something much worse if she wasn't the perfect little angel she was.   
Not a good combination at all.  
"Excuse me?" the Duke asked stuffily.  
"I don't think that's happened yet," Madi hissed to Hannah.  
"Whoopsies," Hannah whispered back meekly. She turned back to the Duke and proclaimed, "Well, I hate you anyway."  
"Who are you?" the Duke asked, mouth twitching in true Duke fashion.  
"Who we are is of no importance to you," Hannah exclaimed, ala James Bond. "The only thing you should know is to be afraid-VERY afraid."  
"Who ARE you?" the Duke repeated. A vein in his forehead was beginning to throb, and combined with his floppy hair, wretched teeth, Britney-ish voice, twitching mouth and all-around ugliness, Hannah decided it would be wisest to stop.  
"We're friends of Satine's," she said casually.  
"My diamond keeps friends like...you?" he asked in disgust.  
"She's not YOURS, bud-"  
Madi shoved her friend aside, then said, "Yeah...excuse her, she's a bit...overworked."   
"So I've noticed," the Duke sneered. "Now, I must see Satine."  
"Oh yeah," Kara drawled. "'Cause I'm sure she can't wait to see you."  
"Precisely," the Duke nodded, missing every ounce of sarcasm (and there was quite a lot to miss, mind you).  
"Uh...we'll go...tell her you're here," Madi said, grabbing Hannah's arm and dragging her back to Satine's dressing room. However, the Duke (being the idiot he is) followed, Kara looking very disgusted as she walked next to him.  
"So, DEAR DUKE," Hannah started, shouting out the last two words.  
"Dear, my ass," Kara muttered.  
"Are you enjoying Montmartre?" Madi finished, elbowing Kara in the stomach as the Duke eyed her questioningly.  
"Hardly," the Duke sniffed. "It's a village of sin filled with trash. Minus my Satine, of course."  
"Someone HAS to tell this guy that you can't own people," Madi whispered to Hannah and Kara, who nodded in agreement.  
"So, DUKE," Madi started again. This time, Satine and Christian seemed to get the message, and the three girls heard a lot of panicked rustling coming from inside the room.  
"I really must see Satine," the Duke interrupted, trying to lean past the three girls and open the door, then failing miserably.  
"So," Kara said awkwardly.  
"I MUST see Satine!" the Duke repeated, trying to get past them again. "She must miss me horribly."  
"Oh yes," Madi said, "Because...er...Hannah!"  
Hannah gave Madi a dirty look, then said, expression filled with self-loathing, "Because you're so...charming and...handsome and...hot and...stuff."  
"Hot?" the Duke asked, wrinkling his nose at her.  
"Never mind," Kara said quickly, "But it was a compliment."  
"Ohh, I see," the Duke said, turning and studying Hannah. "Well, I'm not going to fall for your desperate attempts to try to get on my good side again. I know that I have an amazing effect on women, but please, don't embarrass yourself and me as well. Just keep your feelings to yourself, no matter how hard it seems to be."  
"I think I can manage," Hannah said dryly.  
"Well, then-"  
"Come in, Dear Duke!" Satine called from her dressing room.   
Deciding the coast was clear, the three girls moved away. As soon as the door closed behind the Duke, Hannah let out a shriek of disgust.  
"Ew, ew, ew, ew, EW!" she cried. "That was THE MOST disgusting thing I have EVER said in my ENTIRE life!"  
"I can believe it," Madi said, disgusted. "He's even more revolting in person."  
"And to think I never thought that possible," sighed Kara.  
"At least we missed 'it's a little bit fun-nay, this feeling inside'," Hannah said gratefully.  
Madi nodded.   
"I think I would REALLY need therapy then." 


	4. And Now, the Future! (Kara)

Chapter 4: And now, the future!   
  
"This is scary." Hannah blurted, sitting on top of the elephant with Kara and Madi.   
"What's scary?" Madi asked.  
"That if we went back to the future, who knows where we'd end up?"  
"We have to save Satine," Kara said, looking across at Christian's apartment where two shadows flitted. "We were sent back just to do that."  
"But how are we going to get back?" Madi fiddled with the diamond bracelet she was wearing.   
"I have no idea."  
"We're gonna have great information for history class, aren't we?" Hannah mused.  
"No kidding. But they'll probably send us all to an asylum first." Madi laughed.  
"What are you girls talking about?" Christian, followed closely by Satine, climbed up the stairs to where the girls were draped.  
"How we're gonna get back to the future."   
"Why would you want to go back there?" Satine asked.  
Kara took a deep breath. "Listen, Satine, Christian, this is kinda hard for us to tell you. Satine, you're going to die unless we get you outta here and give you some medicine. Medicine that only our century can provide you with."  
"How do you know?" Christian asked, clenching Satine's hand.  
"The movie. In the end, Satine died." Madi sniffled.   
"I'm...dying?"  
"You're dying." Hannah confirmed. "And we're trying to figure out a way to get you to 2002 so we can cure you."  
"Well, how did you get here in the first place?" Christian wondered, eyeing the girls suspiciously.   
"We don't know! We were just chatting on AOL..."  
"AOL?" Christian interrupted.   
"Yeah, AOL. See, from my computer, I can talk to Hannah and Madi who are at their computers." Kara explained.  
"Computers?"  
"Oh, never mind." She sighed, exasperated. "So anyway, we were just chatting and Hannah said it would be so chunk to time-travel to the Moulin Rouge, and then we did."  
"It was weird." Madi agreed.  
"Very weird." Hannah concluded.  
"So you're trying to get me to the future? To 2002?" Satine asked, face paler than usual.  
"Yep."   
"Okay, the last time, we just said how cool it would be to time-travel," Madi calculated. "So maybe if we say we wanna go back, something will happen."  
"Here," Hannah stretched her hand to Satine, who reluctantly took it. Kara stood, grabbed her bag, and grabbed Christian's, making a circle of herself, Hannah, Madi, Christian, and Satine. "We want to go back...we want to go back..." Hannah chanted.  
"Sounds like Wizard of Oz." Madi quipped.  
"I love that movie!" Kara grinned.  
"C'mon, guys. We want to go back...we want to go back..." Now Christian and Satine joined their voices to those of the three Rougettes and waited, waited for that strange blackness to come over them. "2002...2002...2002..."   
  
And it did. When they awoke, they were lying on a hot sidewalk surrounded by people who eyed them strangely. "We're back!" Kara shouted triumphantly.   
"And in New York City." Hannah pointed out.  
"CHUNKETTE!" Kara screamed, grabbing her friends and jumping up and down.   
"Yes. New York City, with no money and two people from the past who we've probably..." Madi looked around. "Christian! Satine! Come back here you stupids!"   
Christian and Satine were standing by a store window, completely immersed in a soap opera on TV.   
"What's this?" Satine asked.  
"TV. You are watching Days of Our Lives."  
"Interesting." Christian grinned. "I like this TV thing."  
"C'mon. We've gotta find a computer." Kara grabbed Christian and Satine and pushed them away from the televisions. "I can probably get my parents to wire some money to my card."  
"Your card?" Satine wondered.  
"Geez, just pretend you get everything we're talking about, okay?" Hannah said, rolling her eyes. "You're drawing attention to us."  
"No kidding," Madi agreed. "Are you sure we're not dreaming?"  
"Not dreaming," Hannah winked.  
"Where are you going to find a computer, Kar?" Madi asked her friend.  
"Um..." Kara started walking and surprisingly, for the country girl she was, knew her way about New York City very easily.   
"CHRISTIAN! GET BACK HERE!" Hannah yelped. Christian was standing in the middle of the street, gazing at MTV's huge video screen, watching TRL and not noticing that a taxi was about to run him over.  
"What was that about?" He asked. "What was that thing?"  
"We'll explain later." Madi said, pulling him along.   
"Houston, we have a problem." Hannah suddenly said. "We're all dressed normally, and Christian doesn't look too strange, but our Satine girl here looks pretty weird."  
"My clothing is not weird!" Satine fumed. "This is high Parisian fashion!"  
"Not in 2002, dearie."   
"Here. Let's get her something. I only have thirty bucks with me." Kara made a face. "What can that buy?"  
"What is this?" Christian held up a hot dog to the indignation of a vendor.   
"A hot dog."  
"What?"  
"You eat it. Put it down, Christian." Madi tried not to laugh. Christian was like a little kid in a toy store.  
"Okay, we could probably get Satine something from a thrift store." Kara said. "Here, let's go in here."  
Screaming Mimi's was busy, much to the relief of the girls. Hannah stayed outside with the oddly dressed couple while Kara and Madi hurriedly searched for something for Satine to wear. "These look like they'll fit." Madi said, tossing Kara a pair of jeans.   
"And these'll work too." Kara added a pair of red tennis shoes to their pile, then grabbed a Poison (famous 80's hair band) t-shirt that would need a little deconstructing to make it passable and quickly purchased their clothing. They rushed Satine into a bathroom where she changed and came out to model her outfit.   
"I look hideous!" She moaned.  
"Not a chance." Christian winked.   
"Thanks, Satine." The girls said dryly. "We're wearing the same thing as you...well, pretty close."  
"You just need a little snip here," Kara, borrowed scissors in hand, cut the neckline of Satine's shirt, making a small V.   
"And here." Hannah grabbed them from Kara and chopped off the shirt's bottom hem. Now it revealed just a little of Satine's stomach.   
"Looks good." Christian commented. The girls had grabbed a pair of jeans for him and he looked quite normal.   
"Except for her hair." Madi added. She took a rubber band from Kara and pulled Satine's hair up into a normal-girl ponytail.   
"Now you look 21st century." Kara laughed. "Perfect."  
"We need to find a computer before we take her to the hospital."  
"Uh-oh." Hannah's face dropped and her eyes darted from Kara to Madi. "Guys, you need a birth certificate to get into a hospital, don't you? And this isn't gonna work, Satine being born in the 1800s and all."  
"I was born in 1876." Satine informed them. "Does that help?"  
"No."  
"That just makes it worse."  
"I don't like these pants." She whined. "I feel like a man."  
"I think they look nice," Christian consoled her. "I like the shirt myself."   
"Yeah, you just like seeing her stomach and everything so revealed." Madi laughed.   
"Of course!" Christian gave her a playful shove and she punched him lightly on the shoulder.  
"Okay, I'm starving and we need to find a computer." Kara said, looking kind of annoyed.   
"I'm hungry too." The others agreed.   
"How 'bout here?" Christian asked, glancing at the little coffee shop that they were standing next to.   
"COMPUTERS!" Kara breathed a huge sigh of relief. "Awesome! Hopefully my mom is online."  
All five literally flew into the building and sat down at the nearest computer, where Kara logged on to her AOL.   
"What does this do?" Satine asked, sitting next to her.   
"We're just going to pretend they're some exchange students from some little tiny country who hasn't seen a computer before, okay?" Hannah asked.   
"Good idea." Madi grinned.   
"Well, I'm sending a message to my mom who's at her work right now. See?" Kara typed: "Hey Mom, I'm having a little trouble with one of my friends and I'm in New York. Yeah, New York. Don't ask why."  
Kara's mother wrote back really quickly: "What are you doing in New York?"  
"Mom, I just need you to wire me some money, please!"   
"Why?"  
"Because I need it, okay? I'll tell you later. Long story. PLEASE?"  
"Okay. How much?"  
"Two hundred?"  
"WHAT!?!?"   
"Okay, one hundred. I'll pay you back. Promise!"  
"All right." Kara's mother typed. "Done."  
"Thanks, Mom. I love you. Bye."  
Kara closed out of the window and turned to her friends. "That should help. Let's eat. Dinner's on me."  
  
After two huge boxes of pizza and several cans of Coke each, much to the interest of Satine and Christian, who had probably devoured more of the stuff than the three girls combined, they stood to leave. They had gotten some strange looks from waitresses, probably wondering why Ewan McGregor and Nicole Kidman were sitting with three crazy girls. And why Nicole and Ewan were all kissy-face. "I think there's something going on there," one whispered to the other.   
"Let's call The Star."   
  
Satine, Christian, Kara, Madi, and Hannah stalked the streets of New York City, dodging strange onlookers and crazy homeless people, all the while pulling Kara away from the stores that were constantly distracting her. "Kara! We have a Satine to save!" Hannah smacked Kara's arm, taking Kara's attention from a Betsey Johnson store window.   
"And I have a credit card to spend!" She pouted. "Just this skirt?" It was a hot pink skirt. "And those boots?"   
"No!" Madi grabbed Kara's bag and ran.   
"Hey! Gimme that!" Kara stole her bag back and smiled evilly. "I'm buying those when we're done."  
"You do that." Hannah, feeling like she was the only levelheaded one in the bunch, just smiled.   
"Nicole Kidman? Oh my God! Can I have you autograph?" An older man grabbed Satine's arm.  
"I'm...not Nicole Kidman!"   
"And Ewan McGregor?"  
"No." Christian said. "I think you've had a misunderstanding."  
"Hey, Mister," Madi shoved her way to Christian and Satine, "they're just look-alikes, okay? We've got an appointment, so see ya later."  
"Ta ta!" Kara waved, flouncing off.  
  
"Who are Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor?" Satine asked when they were away from the crowd.   
"The people who played you guys in the movie."  
Christian was focused on some porn posters adorning the walls of a theater marked XXX. "Oh my God!" His eyes grew wide.  
The girls laughed. "Porn, Christian."  
"Porn?"  
"Yeah. That's a porn theater!"   
"Is that legal?"  
"As legal as it can be." Kara answered. "Pretty different from your Moulin Rouge, isn't it?"  
"Very different. Look at that girl! Her legs are showing!"   
The Rougettes collapsed in giggles. "You guys are funny. We should keep you here forever."  
"That would be interesting."  
  
  
"Guys, how's this gonna work?" Madi asked, looking very skeptical.  
"Well, Satine's just gonna have to pretend that she lost her birth certificate when she moved from Oklahoma..."  
"Say Oklahoma, Satine." Kara coached.  
"Oklahoma."  
"Good."  
"Anyway," Hannah continued, "She'll say that she lost it after moving from Oklahoma to New York."  
"Sounds reasonable to me." Christian added his two cents.   
"Can you do it, Tine?"   
"Sure I can. Don't worry. I'll be just...chunk." Satine grinned and poked Kara's side and they walked through the automatic doors that fascinated Christian.   
"Stop that now. They're gonna think you're autistic." Kara yanked Christian away from the doors he was walking through over and over and led him to where Satine was speaking to a receptionist who was giving her trouble.  
"We need your birth certificate, dear." The older lady smiled, dripping with false sweetness.  
"I told you, I lost it!"  
"Listen, lady," Hannah said, getting upset. "She lost her birth certificate and she's really sick, so let's just get her up to a doctor!"  
"Or there could be a thing called a lawsuit heading this way." Madi contributed.  
"Fine." The woman cursed under her breath and Kara grinned. "Go up to 3D and see Dr. Kondish."  
  
"Waiting rooms suck." Kara mused. "I hate them."  
"Me too," Christian agreed.  
"You've only been in one once, Christian!" Hannah giggled.  
"I hate them anyway."  
"Miss Zidler?" A nurse with a blonde ponytail that was so tightly pulled up it made her look Chinese called out Satine's name in a nasal voice. "Follow me, please."  
"Should I go with?" Christian whispered to Madi.  
"No, just stay here."  
  
For two long hours, Madi, Hannah, Kara, and Christian shuffled through dozens of Time magazines, played rounds and rounds of poker, watched Oprah, and ate four bags of M n' M's. (Hannah, the allergic-to-chocolate girl, ate a granola bar.) Another half hour passed, and the four made up a dance routine to Lady Marmalade, much to the amusement of the receptionists. Finally Satine appeared, smiling brightly and carrying a bag of medicines.   
"There's four hundred dollars down the drain," Kara complained. "My parents are going to kill me."  
"We'll chip in. Don't worry." Hannah offered.  
"What did the doctor say?" Madi asked.  
"Just that I have tuberculosis and that if I take these medicines I'll get better. And he gave me some shots, too." Satine pulled up her sleeve, revealing five Scooby Doo band-aids.   
"Ouch." Madi winced.  
"Here," Kara tossed Satine her Cosmopolitan magazine. "A little memento from 2002."  
"Thanks...I think."  
  
When they returned from a restaurant, Kara loaded down with Betsey Johnson bags and an almost-maxed out credit card, the scary truth dawned on them. "Where are we going to stay tonight?" Hannah asked.   
"Eep." Kara made a small noise.  
"Kara, return those boots!" Madi said.   
"NO! Not my boots!" Kara hugged the bags to her chest.  
"We could go back to the past..." Satine suggested.  
"Good idea."   
"We'll have to do it the way we came." Hannah said, grabbing for everyone's hands. They looked strange in the middle of the sidewalk, chanting "Take us back...1899." But as this was New York, it wasn't too odd.   
  
But this time, the blackness didn't come. They were stuck in New York City. 


	5. Livin' it Up at The Ritz! (Madi)

"This is peachy. Juuuuuuuust peachy." groaned Madi. "Brilliant."  
  
Satine shivered in her Poison shirt, and Christian, being the gentleman that he was, shrugged off his jacket and gave it to Satine.   
  
Hannah glared at the bag.   
  
"Kara, return the boots." she said in a low, dangerous voice.  
  
"Never," replied Kara in the same tone.  
  
"They are nice shoes." Satine said. Christian elbowed her and motioned for her to shut up.  
  
Madi sighed, feeling as if she was baby-sitting for a bunch of second graders. "Okay, guys, this is what we're gonna do. Since it seems like Mr. Time Person up there is sick of us screwing around, so we're stuck here. We're gonna go back to the coffee shop we came from and I'm gonna talk to my mom. She'll wire us something. Or better yet, my dad. He'll give me the gold card." Madi's eyes glinted. "Then I can shop. If worst comes to worst, we'll pawn Satine's stuff." she smiled apologetically. "Sorry."  
  
Kara clutched her bag tightly. "Sounds like a plan."  
  
Hannah relaxed. "Okay."  
  
Christian nodded. Satine moved to protest, but Christian covered her lips with his finger. She smiled at him, and just before they kissed-  
  
"EW!" shouted a little boy. "MOMMY! Those two are KISSING!"  
  
Madi, Hannah and Kara burst into hysterics as Christian and Satine turned bright scarlet. The mother, who was pretty red as well, dragged her kid away, muttering about 'public displays of affections being banned'.  
  
~*~  
  
A few minutes later Madi was chatting happily with her momma, who was sure her daughter had lost her mind and was just trying to get out of the math test she had the next day. Madi assured her it was nothing of the sort, and got her mother to send her a couple hundred dollars.  
  
She logged off AOL and turned around. Christian and feeding Satine an eclair. They both had lattes next to them on the table. Kara and Hannah were playing hand games until Hannah knocked over both of their hot chocolates.  
  
"Good news!" Madi called happily. Everyone (meaning the entire shop looked up) looked at her. The rest of the cafe ignored Madi, but Satine, Christian, Kara and Hannah paid attention.  
  
"Okay, I got money from my momma, and I've got a new credit card coming my way." she grinned. "My mother, being the kind and generous soul that she is, said we might as well spend the night in NYC right. Guys-" she paused. "We're staying at the Ritz!"  
  
For a minute, everyone was silent. A few seconds later, however, Hannah and Kara were jumping around and screaming.  
  
Satine and Christian looked at one another, confused. "I'm guessing it's good." Satine supplied. Christian nodded.  
  
The three girls stopped, and looked at Christian and Satine. "Oh, yeah. Hi." said Hannah. "Ummm..." she searched for words to explain that little display of insanity.  
"Madi'll explain."  
  
Madi grinned sarcastically at Hannah. "Thanks, Nana. The Ritz is a really nice hotel. It's world-renowned, and we're staying there tonight."  
  
"If we can get a room," said Kara nervously.  
  
Madi stuck her nose up in the air. "Oh, puh-leeze, Kara. If anyone can get into the Ritz, it's us."  
  
"We'll be just like Eloise!" exclaimed Hannah.  
  
"I love that book," agreed Madi. "Now, let's go. All sorts of creepy people start to come out after dark in NYC."  
  
~*~  
  
After almost being mugged a few times, they arrived in the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton. Madi, with her gold card in hand, stalked over the desk. She pressed the little bell.  
  
No one came.  
  
She pressed the little bell again.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Kara and Hannah started to laugh.  
  
"Oh, please, this is SO a bad knock-off of 'Pretty Woman'." Madi said angrily. She started to ring the bell continually until a snooty man walked over.  
  
"Hellooo. Welcooome tooo the Ritz-Carltooon. Hooow may I help yooou?"  
  
"Yeah," Madi said. "I'd like a room."  
  
He quirked an eyebrow. "Wooould yooou? Hooow very nice." he eyed her, then let his eyes skim over Kara and Hannah. Satine and Christian were hidden, making out behind a conviently placed little potted plant. "I suggest the Hoooliday Inn. It's a few blooocks sooouth frooom here."  
  
Madi laughed lightly. "I don't think you heard me. I said I wanted a room. As in, here. As in, now." her voice raised a few decimals. "And if you don't get me a room, I'm gonna-"  
  
Madi was neatly cut off by Satine gliding from behind the plants and next to her. With her Poison shirt, messy ponytail and numerous Scooby-Doo bandages, she made an interesting sight.  
  
"Hello," she said. "What seems to be the problem?"  
  
The concierge looked at her with wide eyes.   
  
"We'd like a room here." she got her snobby 'Sparkling Diamond' attitude. She got an extremely put-out look. "Do you know who I am?"  
  
The concierge began to stutter. "N-n-n-n-"  
  
Satine smiled dryly. "Just as I thought." Abruptly changing tactics, she smiled coyly. "Now," she said, pouting. "Are you going to help us or not?"  
  
~*~  
  
The Presidential Suite was huge. It took up the entire top story.  
  
"Gee, Satine." Madi said from where she was jumping up and down on the water bed in the shape of a heart. "That was impressive." she looked around, smiling. "My mom's gonna kill me. This room is like a million dollars per hour." she shrugged. "Oh well."  
  
Satine shrugged noncommitally from her place on the leather couch. Christian was on the other side of the room, engrossed in 'The New York Times'.  
  
Hannah's head appeared around the corner of another room. "Madi?"  
  
"Yeah?" said Madi, letting herself fall into sitting position.  
  
"Do you think we can buy bathing suits in the lobby?"  
  
Madi made a face. "Uh, probably. Why?"  
  
Kara's face appeared as well. "There's a huge jacuzzi in here."  
  
Madi's face lit up.  
  
"Poorhouse, here we come."  
  
~*~  
  
The jacuzzi was rather large, they soon found out, as they managed to fit all five of them in there. The lobby had nice bikinis available.  
  
Satine nearly had a heart attack when the three girls came out to show off what they wanted. Madi had a light blue bikini that tied around the neck and back and on either side of the bottoms. Hannah had a dark green bathing suit with boy cut bottoms and the same kind of top as Madi's. Kara had a tube top made of denim and matching bottoms.  
  
Satine shook her head. "Oh no. I'm not wearing one of those. That's- that's degrading."  
  
Kara snorted. "And this is coming from Miss Moulin Rouge herself."  
  
"Oh, come on." prodded Madi from where she was primping in the mirror. "Why not let it rip? Live a little bit!"  
  
Hannah nodded and pushed Satine into a stall. "Because you can can can!"  
  
Kara threw a tiny black bikini over the door. "You can can can!"  
  
Christian stood outside, politely averting his eyes when Hannah came out to see him. "Uh, you need a bathing suit too." she announced, putting her hands on her hips.  
  
Christian kept his eyes focused on hers. "What kind of bathing suit?"  
  
Hannah grinned evilly.  
  
Meanwhile, in the changing room...  
  
"I won't come out in this." refused Satine hotly. "It's ridiculous. All my lingerie is more modest than this. This is just... indecent."  
  
Madi sighed and hit the dressing room door. "Satine, me and Kara are out here in our bathing suits, and we're just fine. Heck, Hannah is out there with Christian and she's fine too."  
  
The door was threw open and Satine whirled out. "Hannah's doing WHAT?"  
  
Madi and Kara slapped high fives.  
  
Kara examined Satine with a critical eye. "The bikini works, but, damn, girl, you need to work on your tan."  
  
They heard Hannah shriek with delight. Satine, with fire in her eyes, led the way for the other two girls.  
  
"You're PASTY!" shrieked Hannah. "Look! He's pasty!"  
  
Christian stood there in a pair of trunks, looking rather embarrassed. That soon changed as his eyes bugged out at the sight of Satine.  
  
She did the same.  
  
Madi moaned. "Where is a camera when you need one?!" she exclaimed.  
  
Kara smacked her upside the head and said "Up front, dummy."  
  
"Oh yeah."  
  
And so, they bought 5 different bathing suits and 3 disposable cameras.  
  
Upstairs, Kara and Madi decided they wanted some chocolate mousse cake, but when they saw that there were seven different types of chocolate cake, they couldn't make up their minds. "Hell, let's get them all." Kara said.  
  
Madi grinned. "Not only will we be broke, we'll be fat."  
  
Hannah politely asked for a vanilla ice cream.  
  
When the waiter man brought it in, he left muttering something about an orgy.  
  
Around three o'clock all three girls were lounging around in front of the TV that was taller than they were, watching an 'I Love Lucy' rerun. Satine and Christian had disappeared into the room with the water bed.  
  
"So," yawned Madi. "What do you want to do tomorrow?"  
  
'Sightsee." said Hannah.  
  
"Shop." said Kara.  
  
Madi hit Kara over the head with a pillow. "You silly potato."  
  
All three girls yawned in unison.   
  
"We'll talk about it in the morning." said Hannah.  
  
"Yeah," agreed Kara and Madi.   
  
"Goodnight!" they called out.  
  
From Christian and Satine, there was no response. 


	6. An Unusual Today Show Episode (Hannah)

Chapter Six: An Unusual Today Show Episode  
  
The next morning, the three girls awoke to find Christian and Satine sitting in front of the TV, staring at the screen in fascination.  
"This is amazing," Christian murmured, gesturing towards the screen displaying Before and After photos of Clay Henry.  
"Oh yeah," Hannah said, nodding earnestly. "The Subway diet can work wonders."  
"What?" Satine asked, confused.  
"Never mind," Hannah said. She, Kara, and Madi plopped down onto the sofa and watched the rest of the commercial about everyone's favorite fireman and Jared fan.  
"This Tuesday on Pay Per View," announced the TV screen, "Moulin Rouge!"  
An image of Satine and Christian during the Elephant Love Medley filled the screen.  
"That's...us!" exclaimed Satine.  
"Well, yeaaah," Kara said in a 'duh' tone. "You're in a MOVIE."  
"You mean...ANYONE can watch us?" Christian asked.  
"Anyone who can afford a PPV movie," Madi said.  
"But that's PRIVATE!" Satine cried. "That's our LIVES...they shouldn't have permission to...just...WATCH it!"  
Blushing terribly, Christian asked the floor, "Do they see us...Satine and I...uh..."  
"Don't worry, Christie," Madi said. "It's only PG-13. You're safe."  
Christian looked confused (no doubt pondering what the heck PG-13 was) but relieved.  
The preview ended, and the news came back on.   
"And in today's celebrity news," the anchorwoman said, "Aussie actress Nicole Kidman has been sighted many times quite recently with Moulin Rouge co-star Ewan McGregor."  
A picture appeared in the corner of the screen of Satine and Christian from the day before, kissing like there was no tomorrow.  
"Kidman and McGregor have been far from secretive about their new relationship, and many have reported seeing them in romantic embraces," the anchorwoman continued. "It is more than likely that McGregor will be in hot water, seeing as he's married with children."  
"Crap," Kara muttered, changing the channel only to find a very annoyed-looking Nicole Kidman's face filling the screen.  
"I have no idea where these rumors are coming from!" she exclaimed. "I haven't even seen Ewan lately, let alone kissed him. The pictures could be taken from the movie and then edited, or...I really don't know. But we are NOT having an affair!"  
"Sorry, Nic," Hannah apologized to the TV screen before turning to her fellow Rougettes. "Girls, we have a problem."  
"Tell me about it," Madi groaned. "We're making Nicole and Ewan's lives miserable!"  
"Well," Kara said, attempting to sound optimistic and failing horribly, "Maybe it's not that big of a story yet...we could have just landed on the only two channels where they're talking about it."  
"Let's hope," Hannah said, picking up the remote and flipping through the channels.   
No such luck.  
Every channel, right down to the Food Network, had news on 'Nicole and Ewan''s affair.  
"Was this our fault?" Satine asked timidly as an enraged Ewan McGregor told Access Hollywood that he was happily married and only friends with Nicole Kidman.  
"Er...not really," Madi said. "It's not your fault that you look like them. And are them...or they're you...or..."  
"Let's just settle with 'it's not your fault'," Kara cut in.  
  
~*~  
  
After what seemed like many tedious hours of boredom (but was in actuality around five minutes), the Rougettes and their star-crossed lover pals decided to saunter on down to the Today show and see if they could get Al Roker to talk to them.  
"It...is...so...cold...out...here," Hannah proclaimed with chattering teeth.  
"Puh-leeze, Alaska girl," Kara groaned. "Toughen up!"  
"Just because I'm from Alaska doesn't mean I GO OUTSIDE!" Hannah protested. "The last time I went outside was for recess a while ago with Ingrid, since all our EVIL other friends got passes and we were stuck outside with no one but our friend, the rotten orange."  
Madi and Kara both raised skeptical eyebrows at her.  
"We named 'im Herman the 18th*", Hannah finished, sounding as though it was the most normal thing in the world to befriend rotten oranges.  
Madi and Kara shrugged off her weirdness, but Christian and Satine exchanged extremely frightened looks.  
"Hey," Hannah snapped to Christian, "At least I didn't sing The Hills are Alive With The Sound of Music with the Green Fairy. Don't look at me like that."  
"Oookay," Christian said tentatively, turning back to Satine.  
Suddenly, the crowd erupted into whoops and cheers of, "Look Mom, I'm on TV!"  
"What are they doing?" Christian asked, backing away from the couple that stood next to them who were jumping up and down and waving signs.  
Hannah rolled her eyes. "Stupidly overreacting. They're all excited because they're on TV. It's-"  
However, what it was, they never got to find out, since at that moment Al Roker himself made his way over to them.  
"Hi, girls!" he greeted them merrily. "How are..." His voice trailed off, and eyes widened a bit. "Nicole?" he asked incredulously. "Ewan?"  
"No, no, no," Satine stuttered. "I'm not-"  
"Nicole, you're supposed to be up in the studio!" Al exclaimed. "Your interview about Birthday Girl is in only a few minutes!"  
"But I'm not-"  
"Come on, I'll take you up there," Al said, grabbing her arm and helping her over the fence.   
"But you don't understand-"  
After a cheery 'Here's what's going on in your neck of the woods', Al led a very confused looking Satine up to the studio.  
All Rougettes were silent for a moment, before muttering in unison, "Uh oh."  
  
~*~  
  
Satine shifted uncomfortably in her armchair as Katie Couric flashed an almost frighteningly bright grin at her, exposing shockingly white teeth.  
"Er...Miss, you don't get it-"  
"Calm down, Nicole!" Katie said with a laugh. "You've done this before!"  
"No, actually..."  
"Shhh!" Katie hissed before her huge smile returned. "And we're back with Birthday Girl star, Nicole Kidman."  
"Uh...hello," Satine said awkwardly, following Katie's eyes to a few men holding large, black objects that very slightly resembled cameras.  
"It's nice to have you here, Nicole," Katie said warmly.  
"Er...it's great to be here," Satine said with a hopeless shrug.  
"Now, can you tell us about Birthday Girl?"  
"Er..." Satine said awkwardly, wondering what in God's name Birthday Girl was. 'Birthday Girl star'....most likely Nicole Kidman's newest movie.  
"Uh...it's about...love?"  
Katie's bright grin faltered for a moment.   
"Love?" she asked weakly.  
Isn't EVERYTHING? Satine thought desperately. I mean, what's a story without love?  
Satine nodded, then continued unsurely, "Love and...adventure, and...suspense?"  
Katie's grin got brighter again, apparently accepting Satine's answer. "And in the film, you play a Russian mail order bride with a dangerous past. Your parts are always so different...Batman's object of affection, a singing courtesan, a frightened, strict mother in a haunted house, and now a Russian mail order bride! Why do you pick these parts?"  
"I...uh...like variety," Satine said weakly. "The same old thing can get boring after a while."  
Katie smiled. "And now, on a more personal note...what's with all these rumors about you and Ewan McGregor, your Moulin Rouge co-star?"  
"Um..." Satine thought back on what she'd seen Nicole Kidman say earlier that morning on TV. "It's absolutely untrue. Ewan and I got to be very good friends while making the film...but...well, we're just friends!"  
"Al informed me that he saw you with Ewan outside," continued Katie, an almost murderous glint in her eyes, as though desperate to get Satine to confess 'her' affair with 'Ewan McGregor.'  
"We're good friends," Satine repeated weakly. "He's here for support, and-"  
She was cut off by the studio doors bursting open, and an absolute replica of herself bursting inside, looking rather winded.  
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" she apologized breathlessly, stumbling onto the set. "The limo broke down on the way here, and..." Her voice trailed off as she saw Satine, and after a moment of shocked silence, she screeched.  
"Who are you?!" Nicole asked, looking positively terrified.  
"Satine," responded Satine uneasily.  
"What?" Nicole exclaimed. "You can't be Satine, Satine's not REAL! But...you look like me...just like me when I played her..."  
"That's because I AM her," Satine said quietly. Katie Couric's grin had disappeared immediately.  
"This can't be happening," Nicole said, sounding positively hysterical. "It just can't...I'm dreaming, I've overslept, I'm missing my interview. Pinch me!"  
Satine awkwardly obliged, pinching her lightly on the arm.  
"Ouch!" Nicole shrieked, then studied Satine in horror. "I just got pinched by myself."  
"No, I'm SATINE-"  
"Satine isn't real though!" cried Nicole.   
"Er...cut, cut!" Katie said nervously. The cameramen, however, didn't seem to be paying the least bit of attention to her.  
"Well, I AM!" Satine exclaimed. "Three girls who are fans of your movie...my life...came back to 1899 and then they took me back here to find medication to cure my consumption, and now we're trapped here!"  
Nicole looked absolutely frozen in shock.   
"You're insane," she declared, sounding not entirely sane herself. "You're insane, you THINK you're Satine, but you're NOT, because there IS no Satine!"  
"I'm NOT insane!" Satine cried irritably. "I AM SATINE!"  
"You CANNOT be Satine!" Nicole screeched. "It's IMPOSSIBLE!"  
"I AM Satine!" Satine proclaimed, starting to get angry. "Listen, Nicole, you might have played me in a movie, I'm not denying that, but I'm ALIVE, I EXIST, and I'm trying desperately to get back to 1899!"  
"You're a psycho!" Nicole cried. "A complete and absolute psycho!"  
"No I'm not!" Satine exclaimed, grabbing her lookalike's shoulders and shaking them impatiently. "I just need to get back to the Moulin Rouge in 1899!"  
However, Nicole never got the chance to reply, seeing as the two suddenly faded and disappeared. Looking very afraid, Katie stuttered, "Er...Nicole Kidman and...Satine, ladies and gentlemen. We'll be back to Today right after these messages."  
She then passed out in a dead faint, giving a fantastic ending to the most memorable episode in Today history, in which Nicole Kidman met her singing prostitute part and then disappeared into thin air.  
  
  
*The story of good ol' orange is true. His name has been changed to protect the innocent. (Minus the 18th thing...) 


	7. Tonight We're Gonna Party Like it's 1899...

"What..." Hannah began, her eyes wide.  
"The..." Madi continued.   
"Hell?" Kara finished, pointing skyward. "Houston, we have a problem." She clicked her feet in their new Betsey Johnson boots and grabbed for Christian's hand. "Okay, we gotta get back."  
"We're scandalizing the whole world! Nic and Ewwie are gonna kill us!" Hannah said, looking a little nervous.  
"I love it." Kara and Madi said together.   
"Um...girls? Um...where's Satine?" Christian tentatively asked. "Don't we have to find her?"  
"Uh-oh." They chorused.   
"We kinda can't go back without her, right?" Christian took Madi's extended hand and the four went up to the studios.   
  
They hadn't seen such commotion before. Katie Couric lay on the floor, her pink suit beginning to wrinkle. "Mayday, mayday!" Someone was saying into their headphones. "She's getting wrinkly!"  
"Get an iron!" Another screeched into her headphones. "We can't have a rumpled Katie!"  
"Get Matt on the set."   
The Rougettes laughed nervously. "C'mon, Chris, let's find Stine." Madi gave him a little-sisterly smack and linked her arm through his.   
A laughing Matt Lauer cornered them. "Who are you?"  
"Oh, I'm aspiring young journalist Karita K. from MTV, and these are my friends, Hannah Star and Madeline Queen. We're the Rougettes." Kara said, flipping her ponytail and acting as though this was an everyday thing. "We're just here to look around."  
"Oh, hi, Ewan!" Matt grinned at Christian, who frowned.   
"I'm not Ewan."  
The intimidating-foreheaded news anchor just gave him a blank smile. "Okay, look around then."   
  
"Satine isn't here!" Hannah hissed. "She's gone!"  
"She went back." Christian stated gravely. "We have to get back."  
"Now." Madi added. "What do we do?"  
"Grab hands?"   
All four did so, right in the middle of the NBC Studios. "Hey, Karita, click your heels three times." Hannah kidded.   
Kara did so. "There's no place like Moulin Rouge, there's no place like Moulin Rouge..." She said aloud. "C'mon, speds, repeat after me!"   
"Speds?"  
"Special Ed? You know...kids that aren't all mentally there?"   
The other three followed Kara's words.   
And then they were gone, leaving some Today Show staff gaping open-mouthed at the strange spectacle.  
  
"WHERE ARE YOU TAKING ME?!?!?!" Nicole wailed as she and Satine were thrown into the darkness that was time-traveling.   
"Probably back." Satine answered nonchalantly.  
"But...but...I have to go back to my time!" She whined. Suddenly, all was quiet. Their bodies fell with a loud thump on the floor of Christian's garret.  
  
  
"Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1899!" The Rougettes sang, dancing around in their pretty clothes that they were using for the show tonight.   
Kara whirled about like a crazy woman and then smiled broadly at the crowd of onlookers. "I love 80's music."  
Of course, the 1899ers had no idea what she was talking about.   
Hannah smoothed down the red satin of her gown and looked at her Rouge sisters. "I can't believe this is actually happening. We're entertainers. And we look sexy."  
Madi, wearing a silk dress that changed from blue to a greenish hue to pink, nodded. "But what are we going to do now that we've saved Christian and Satine? We can't stay here forever."  
"No way. I can't live without my computer." Kara laughed.   
"And the Moulin Rouge DVD." Hannah added.  
"Yeah, but we kinda have our own private Moulin Rouge right now, silly bean."  
Karita was back in her 80's stage. "What song should we sing and dance to tonight, girlies?" If Hannah and Madi would have replied, she wouldn't have heard, as she was so obsessed with her reflection. Kara's dress was strapless and hot magenta, like Madonna's "Material Girl" outfit. Like her friends, her ears and wrists dripped with flaming diamonds. "I...need...liquid...eyeliner." She gasped, pretending to be pathetically ill.  
"Karita, you are sick." Madi and Hannah said, rolling their eyes.  
"I know." She giggled.  
  
The door creaked open and someone who wasn't Satine but looked exactly like her walked in. "OH. MY. GOD!" Madi shrieked.  
"NICOLE!" All three screamed.  
"Now, if we just had Ewwie..." Hannah added.   
"What happened? Why are YOU here?" Kara asked, lipstick in her hand.  
"I don't know. Satine took me with her."  
"Cereal?" Kara continued. "Serious in Karaspeak."  
"You need a dictionary to understand that." Madi quipped.   
"Shut up!" Karita jabbed Madi's side playfully and Hannah stepped between the two. "HEY! KARITA! RED LIPSTICK DOES NOT LOOK NICE ON MY DRESS!"  
Nicole stood, watching the girls. "So, let me get this straight. You three time-traveled back here and you saved Satine?"  
"Yup."  
"Okay...you also went to New York and then you took me with you."  
"Yup, Johnny Cochran." Kara teased.   
"Well, how am I supposed to get back?"  
"We don't know. We don't know if WE'RE gonna get back."  
"Hey, Nic, do you know where Ewan is?" Hannah asked.  
"No, I don't."  
"Shoot."  
"Well, he probably has a beard. EWAN, BEARDS ARE BAD!" Karita said. "NO BEARDS."  
"No kidding." Madi agreed. "But then, I guess I like him either way."  
"I love Ewwie."  
"We know, Hannah." Madi pulled on Hannah's hair to get her out of her dreamworld.  
  
  
The door to their dressing room opened again and Satine came in, wearing her jeans and Poison t-shirt. Nicole noticed her face and said, "I'll leave you guys alone."  
"Hey, girls." Satine said softly, sitting down. "I just want to say thank you for all you did."  
All three sat down at the same time and put their arms around each other's shoulders.   
Satine continued, "I just can't believe that you would sacrifice your...lifestyle for Christian and for me. I mean, you did everything in your power to cure me and make our lives better. You even yelled at the Duke for killing frogs!"  
"That was so wrong." Hannah said indignantly.  
"I just don't know how you could act so selflessly."  
"Oh, honey, it wasn't so selflessly. We did get to see ya'll and go shopping at Betsey Johnson." Kara laughed.  
"Well, anyway, Christian and I both want to say thank you. We don't know what else to do."  
Tears came into Madi's eyes but she wiped them away before her makeup would run.   
"We're going to name our first child Hannah Madeline Karita just for you." Satine smiled.   
"Don't do that. That sounds bad. How about you name the first one Karita?"  
"No! Hannah!"   
"No! Madeline!"  
"Well, whatever. Have lots of kids. They're good for you. Who knows, they're probably our grandparents or great-grandparents or something." Kara said.   
"How can we repay you girls?"  
"Well..." Evil glints came into their eyes. "There is...some stuff we'd like to have."  
"We can't take the elephant home with us."   
The Rougettes sighed. "Too bad. I liked that thing."   
"Diamonds?" Satine asked, grabbing a handful of the jewels.  
The three shook their heads.   
"Shoes?"  
"Nah."  
"Well, maybe those..." Kara said.   
"Take them."  
"Thanks."   
"Costumes?"  
"You win a new car, Satine!" Madi teased.   
"What?"  
"That's what we wanted." Hannah explained.   
"Take whatever you want. It's yours."  
"Cereal?" Kara questioned, eyes wide and sparkling with excitement.  
"Huh?"  
"Karaspeak for serious."   
"Hey..." Madi began, a huge, mischievous smile stretching across her face. "C'mere, Karita. C'mere, Hannah."   
Satine couldn't hear their whispering, only the muffled giggles. "Let's do it." She heard Hannah say.   
"Oh Satinnneeee..." They sing-songed. "We have an ideaaa..."  
"What are you going to do?"   
Little more than an hour later, Satine emerged from her dressing room looking like a reject from the Lady Marmalade video. Hannah, Madi, and Kara had had their way; blue and yellow eye makeup was blended way up towards her eyebrows, which were darkened to an almost black color. Hot pink blush streaked across Satine's sculpted cheeks and bright red-orange lipstick destroyed her mouth. "You look great," they assured her.   
"I think not!" She scoffed, frowning at the girls. "How do I get this off?"  
"With soap, maybe?" Kara raised an eyebrow.   
"GIRLS! You, you there! You three! HAROLD IS WAITING FOR YOU!" The stage manager, his face a fiery beet red, stormed into the room. He stopped short at seeing Satine. "Mademoiselle Satine, what did they do?"  
"We gave her a makeover!" Madeline giggled. "Want one?"  
He just scowled. "Get out there, you three. Make those gents happy."  
Kara rolled her eyes and, without the other two noticing, ground her boot heel into his foot. He gave a loud yelp, and the three Rougettes, collapsing with laughter, ran to the stage.   
"Let's go, girls." She said, just loud enough so the crowds of tuxedos outside could hear her.   
"The French are glad to die for love..." Hannah began.   
"They delight in fighting duels." Madi cut her off.   
"But I prefer a man who lives and gives expensive..." Kara added. The three were still standing behind the curtain, enjoying the fact that their voices were making hundreds of old men stiff.   
"Jewels!"   
With a loud blast of trumpets, the Rougettes were revealed to the audience. And, taking their cues from their Sparkling Diamond idol, they flirted and waltzed about the Moulin Rouge, collecting the gems and trinkets that were offered. Kara threw her feather boa to Toulouse, who did a naughty little dance with it.   
At the end of the night, their feet aching and their necks, arms, and hands weighted with costly jewelry, the girls retired to Christian's garret, their abode of choice.   
"This has been too much fun." Hannah sighed, draping herself on Christian's bed.   
"We're gonna have to go back soon, though." Madi put a damper on their happiness.   
All three were silent for a few moments. "Where should we go next time?" Kara asked.   
"We'll have to come back in a few years, to check on their progress."  
"Of course."  
  
"Um, girls?" Christian and Satine walked into the room, clinging to one another. "Can we have this room now?"  
The three Rougettes, wearing comfortable men's shirts and completely devoid of makeup, nodded and smiled teasingly. "Good night, Christian. Good night, Satine." Like three little girls sent to bed by their parents, they hugged each one before trudging off to their little room.   
Completely contented, the Rougettes fell into deep sleep, not knowing what was going to happen next. 


	8. The Moulin Rouge and the Time-Warped Mac...

Madi groaned as she was rudely awakened by the harsh, invading sunlight. Someone was in the room, and whining very loudly. She could hear the groans and moans of both Hannah and Kara, so she knew she was not the only violated one.  
  
"Rise n' shine, littl' one." came a sneer.  
  
Madi cracked open an eye and shuddered. "Ew! It's Nini! In my room! It's a nightmare! Pinch me!"  
  
Both Hannah and Kara abided happily, and Madi shot out of bed with pain. "Oowww!" she howled. "I didn't mean for you to actually do it!"  
  
Nini cackled in a corner, and Madi glared, rubbing both arms that had been so brutally pinched. "Gee, Nini, isn't a little too early to be acting like a heinous ba-witch?"  
  
"Witch, witch, you're a ba-witch! Witch, witch, you're a ba-witch!" chorused Hannah and Kara.  
  
"Wow, watch Pratical Magic recently?" Madi said sarcastically, for Madi is not a happy camper when rudely awakened and without her caffeine. "Must- have- cafe- con- leche." she moaned.  
  
"Your queen has requested your presence." said Nini bitingly.  
  
"Oh, S'tine? Kay-kay. We'll be there in uno momento. We have to get dressed- and I think Madi really does need caffeine." said Kara, looking nervously at Madi, who had slid to the floor and was now twitching.  
  
Nini left, and Kara and Hannah watched Madi. "Twitching is bad, I think." said Hannah slowly. Kara nodded.  
  
~*~  
  
A half-an-hour later, the girls were dressed and wide awake, due to the magic of coffee. Madi was now buzzing around like a possessed bumblebee, and ran up the stairs ahead of them to Christian's garret. She knocked a little tune. "Shave n' a haircut-" she sang.  
  
Christian opened the door. Madi, irritated, knocked two times. "Two bits! You're supposed to finish it!" Madi pouted, but since she was on caffeine, immediately smiled. "Woo, I don't care. I'm in the zone, man. Whee!" Madi tangoed into the room.  
  
Christian cocked an eyebrow at Madi, and looked to Hannah and Kara for an explanation.   
  
"Don't look at us." said Kara.  
  
"Uh," Satine started as she was led around the room in a tango with Madi. "What have you done to Madi?"  
  
"Ooh, I'm fine." said Madi as she let go of Satine and started to cha-cha. "I just gotta dance!" Madi burst into a short tap-dance routine, gave it up when she saw how bad she was, and started to hum. "Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena, que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena, dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena, ehhhh, Macarena!" She suddenly stopped. "Guys, we have to leave today, right?"  
  
Hannah and Kara nodded sadly, and Satine pouted.   
  
"Well, why don't we leave this joint with a bang, what do you say?"  
  
"Haven't we already scared them enough?" asked Hannah.  
  
Madi grinned evilly. "There's no such thing."  
  
~*~  
  
Kara looked down at her little black-lacy number she was wearing. "Uh, Madi, don't you think this is a little extreme?"  
  
Madi emerged from behind the curtain, wearing an identical outfit in red. She wore a frightening amount of diamonds, and her eyeshadow looked a tad frightening. "Nah." she said.  
  
Hannah appeared behind Madi, wearing the same thing in white. "Boy, my mother would have a cow if she saw me in this."  
  
"Ditto." agreed both Madi and Kara.  
  
Satine rushed up to the girls. "Are you guys ready? the crowd out there is going nuts." She smiled ruefully. "I wonder what they're going to do tomorrow when they find out it's only me again."  
  
Madi patted Satine consolingly. "Don't worry, darling, it'll be alright."  
  
The stage manager, who looked like he could seriously use both an inhaler and a massage, breathlessly started to whine. "What are you girls still doing here? You should have been out there ten seconds ago!"  
  
"I could argue," sighed Hannah. "But it would take too much effort, and I need all the energy I can get with what Madi has planned."  
  
"What are you girls doing?" asked Satine.  
  
Kara waved a finger. "You'll see. C'mon, girls."  
  
The three stalked out to the middle of the dance floor, safe in a ring created of benevolent Moulin Rouge performers. The audience cheered.  
  
"Alright, alright, we're here! You can relax. Now, this is our final night here-" the crowd moaned quite loudly. "And we're gonna make a damn good time of it! Now, HIT IT!"  
  
The music started, and Madi, Hannah and Kara put one arm out, then the next. Then they cross their arms across their chest, putting their hands on their shoulders. Then both hands on their temples. They cross their arms across their torsos and put hands on their hips, then uncross them and put either hand on the hip from their side. They sway their hips from side to side and spin in the arm to face the next direction while yelling 'Eh, Macarena!'  
  
"I am not trying to seduce you..." whispered Kara innocently.  
  
"When I dance they call me Macarena," said Hannah  
  
"And the boys, they say que soy buena," sang Madi  
  
"They all want me, they can't have me," chanted all three girls.  
  
"So they come and dance beside me," Hannah sang.  
  
"Move with me, chant with me," said all three  
  
"And if you're good, I'll take you home with me." said Madi.  
  
"Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena   
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Ehhhh, Macarena," Sang the girls and the guys in the bandstand.   
  
Kara waved a finger. "Now don't you worry 'bout my boyfriend."  
  
"The boy whose name is Vitorino," supplied Hannah.  
  
"I don't want him, couldn't stand him." sang the three.  
  
"He was no good, so I..." Hannah and the other two burst out into giggles.  
  
"Now, come on," said Madi "What was I supposed to do? He was out of town and his two friends were soooooo fine."  
  
Around them, the dance was going on. They didn't even see Satine lead Christian out to the dance floor and start doing the macarena in front of him. Nor did they see Toulouse get it down on the dance floor. All around them was a crazy, writhing mass of macarena-ing 1899-ers.  
  
"Macarena tiene un novio que se llama   
Que se llama de apellido Vitorino   
Y en la jura de bandera del muchacho   
Se la dio con dos amigos   
Macarena, Macarena, Macarena   
Que le gusta los veranos de Marbella   
Macarena, Macarena, Macarena   
Que le gusta la movida guerrilera   
Macarena suena con el Corte Ingles   
Y se compra los mnodelos mas modernos   
Le gustaria vivir en Nueva York   
Y ligar un novio nuevo."  
  
"I am not trying to seduce you." breathed Hannah.  
  
"Come and find me, my name is Macarena," stated Madi.  
  
"Always at the the party con las chicas que soy buena." sang all three girls.  
  
"Come join me, dance with me," said Hannah.  
  
"And you fellows chant along with me." said Madi, pointing at a group of rather stoic people.  
  
"Move with me, chant with me," said Kara, moving suggestively.  
  
"And if you're good, I'll take you home with me." said all three girls, directing it at Christian with a wink.  
  
"Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena   
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Ehhhh, Macarena,"  
  
Everyone was doing it now, without exception. Harold was, Satine and Christian were, all the Bohos, Arabia and China, Mome Fromage, even stuffy old Nini was doing the Macarena.  
  
"Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Que tu cuerpo es pa' darle alegria y cosa buena   
Dale a tu cuerpo alegria Macarena   
Ehhhh, Macarena."  
  
The song ended, and everyone burst into wild applause. Madi, Hannah and Kara bowed breathlessly, catching the roses, money and flowers they threw at them.  
  
Hannah and Kara started to go back stage when they were caught by the backs of their corset-like tops.  
  
"I don't think so," said Madi.  
  
"We're not done?" whined Hannah. "Look! The crowd loved it! They love us! I have diamonds, for God's sake!" she shook the diamond and made them chime. "See? SEE!"  
  
"What Hannah means is that we're tired. And I miss my liquid liner!"  
  
"Come here," Madi said, and whispered what she had in mind in their ears.  
  
"Or, that sounds good too." said Kara meekly.  
  
"And fun." said Hannah.  
  
Madi smiled. "Good."  
  
She stalked back out to the middle of the floor.  
  
"HEY!" she shouted, using her big mouth that everyone had always yelled at her about. "We're not done yet, fellas, so you're in luck! But, in order to complete my ensemble, I need to get a few people! So, if you hear your name or corporation, get your butt in my circle! We got a deal?"  
  
The crowd responded with claps and crows.  
  
"What is she doing?" hissed Hannah nervously. Kara shrugged.  
  
"SATINE! The BOHOS! TOULOUSE! HAROLD! Chicas of the APOCALYPSE! Yes, Nini, that means you!"  
  
Madi patiently waited, then counted. "That makes thirteen, and I want an even number! I need one more! Who should I pick?"  
  
Satine, Kara and Hannah were clearing their throat quite loudly behind her. "UMM... that little writer!" sang Madi, and the throat-noises stopped.  
  
Once Christian was safely inside the circle, Madi arranged them in a line. "Just follow me," she whispered.  
  
"It's astounding;   
Time is fleeting;   
Madness takes its toll.   
But listen closely...   
Not for very much longer.   
I've got to keep control."  
  
Kara grinned, and realized what Madi was doing.  
  
"I remember doing the time-warp   
Drinking those moments when   
The Blackness would hit me   
And the void would be calling...  
Let's do the time-warp again." she sang. Madi grinned.  
  
"Let's do the time-warp again!" they chorused.  
  
"It's just a jump to the left." Madi said, jumping. The rest followed.  
  
"And then a step to the right." sang Kara, and everyone else did it.  
  
"With your hands on your hips. You bring your knees in tight." sang Madi and Kara, doing as the song said and being followed.  
  
"But it's the pelvic thrust, that really drives you insane. Let's do the time-warp again." Hannah smiled and sang along.   
  
"Let's do the time-warp again!"  
  
"It's so dreamy, oh fantasy free me.   
So you can't see me, no, not at all.   
In another dimension, with voyeuristic intention,   
Well secluded, I see all." sang Hannah  
  
Not to be outdone, Madi burst out with: "With a bit of a mind flip,  
You're into the time slip.   
And nothing can ever be the same.   
You're spaced out on sensation.   
LIKE YOU'RE UNDER SEDATION!!!!!!!!!!!"  
  
Kara, Hannah and Madi all grinned widely, jumping up and down like they were in an 80's rock music video. "Let's do the time-warp again! Let's do the time-warp again!"  
  
Satine smiled at her friends and got out of line to join the girls.  
  
Of course, Satine couldn't simply sing, she had to act it as well. She stalked around.   
  
"Well I was walking down the street just a-having a think, when a snake of a guy gave me an evil wink. " she raised her hands in mock horror.   
  
"He shook-a me up, he took me by surprise.   
He had a pickup truck, and the devil's eyes." she purred.  
  
"He stared at me and I felt a change.   
Time meant nothing, never would again. "  
  
Madi slapped high-five with her. "Go, S'tine!"  
  
"Let's do the time-warp again. Let's do the time-warp again!" all four sang, all jumping up and down.  
  
"It's just a jump to the left." bellowed Harold, startling everyone.  
  
"And then a step to the right." sang the four appreciatively.  
  
"With your hands on your hips." lisped Toulouse.  
  
"You bring your knees in tight." sang Hannah, Satine, Kara, Madi and Harold.  
  
"But it's the pelvic thrust, that really drives you insane." shouted Christian, taking everyone by surprise.  
  
"Let's do the time-warp again! Let's do the time-warp again!" sang everyone. The Moulin Rouge was alive with Rocky Horror vibes.  
  
The whole room formed into what looked like a giant conga line, and did the aforementioned 'Time Warp'  
  
When the song finished, Hannah, Madi and Kara looked at one another, all slightly exhausted.   
  
"We have completed our mission." wheezed Madi. "We have brought the macarena and the Rocky Horror Picture show to the Moulin Rouge."  
  
"If only we could bring modern medicine, technology, and liquid liners, we would truly be Godsends." said Kara mournfully.  
  
Satine and Christian ran up to the girls breathlessly, oblivious to the fact that they were holding hands. Hannah coughed politely, and Satine released his hand with a bit of a pout.  
  
Christian didn't let it damper his mood any. "Girls, that was great!" he crowed.  
  
Satine nodded emphatically. "That was incredible! The time warp and the macarena- what names!" both Christian and Satine laughed.  
  
"Ha ha ha." chortled the Rougettes fakely, too tired to argue.  
  
That brought them all back to reality. "Do you really have to go now?" asked Satine mournfully.  
  
Madi nodded. "I for one have a math test to make up. And to face my parents about the bill. It'll be a group heartattack."  
  
"I have to show my friends my boots!" said Kara excitedly.   
  
"And I..." Hannah stopped. "Hey, when you say it that way, it seems that I didn't do anything at all!"  
  
"Girls, we're going to miss you," said Satine, pulling Kara and Hannah into a hug. Madi grinned, and Christian pulled her to him. All were released, and the two went to get their hug from Christian, and Madi moved to Satine.  
  
"You'll come back to visit, right?" asked Christian anxiously.  
  
"And bring cafe lattes?" Satine demanded, for she had become a great fan of Starbuck's coffee. "And french fries?"  
  
"That and more," assured Kara.  
  
The three girls looked at one another. "And we won't see each other again either!" cried Madi woefully.  
  
They three group-hugged. "We'll still be the Rougettes," pledged Hannah   
  
"And we'll always have the internet!" cried Kara.  
  
Madi, the cry-baby that she was, burst into tears. "I'm gonna miss you all!"  
  
"Oh, don't cry, you'll get me started!" wailed Satine.  
  
Satine and Madi looked at one another before dissolving into tears and moving to hug again.  
  
Kara looked away. "Damn glitter in my eye," she sniffled.  
  
"Wow, the floor is pretty cool." said Hannah in a choked up voice.  
  
Madi composed herself. "Okay, I'm better." she went for another round of hugs, and then pronounced herself ready.  
  
"What should we do this time?" asked Hannah. "One time it was chanting, the next it was like the wizard of oz, now what?"  
  
Madi grinned. "I have an idea." she burst into song. "Let's do the time warp again! Let's do the time warp again!"  
  
The three girls started into the movements, all the while chanting 'lets do the time warp again!' 


End file.
